Geneva, May 24 (IANS) Novak Djokovic fought back from a set down to beat Hubert Hurkacz and captured his 100th tour-level title at the Gonet Geneva Open here on Saturday. The former No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings dug deep in an absorbing championship match and rallied for a 5-7, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) victory over sixth seed Hurkacz to triumph at the clay-court ATP 250 event.
Ahead of the upcoming French Open, Djokovic rallied from 2-4 in the deciding set before sealing victory after three hours and five minutes, the longest match of this year’s tournament.
“I had to work for it, that’s for sure. Hubi was probably closer to victory (in) the entire match than I was,” Djokovic said. “I had some chances in the first set to break his serve, then had a bad game which ended up with the double fault on set point,” Djokovic told the ATP Tour on Saturday.
“I was just trying to hang in there, I don’t know how I broke his serve. He probably broke himself in the third, when he was 4-3 up, but this is what happens at the highest level. Very few points decide the winner. Incredible match, 7-6 in the third with a full stadium and a beautiful atmosphere. I’m just grateful to clinch the 100th here,” the Serbian star said.
With his 100th tour-level trophy, Djokovic joined Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the only men in the Open Era to hit the triple-digit mark. The Serbian claimed his first title in Amersfoort in 2006 when he defeated Hurkacz’s current coach, Nicolas Massu, in the final.
By securing his first title since winning the gold medal at last year’s Paris Olympics, Djokovic became the first man in the Open Era to lift a trophy in 20 different seasons. The 38-year-old is the oldest champion in the Geneva tournament’s history.
There were nerves from both players, highlighted by Djokovic hitting his first double fault on set point in the opener, but he channelled the fighting spirit that he has become synonymous with.
Hurkacz did not drop a point in his opening three service games of the final set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, but Djokovic remained resolute to upend his opponent and notch his eighth consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head win over the Pole (8-0).
The decisive moment of Saturday’s final came in the eighth game of the final set, with Hurkacz serving at 4-3 with a break. He struck two forehand unforced errors and a double fault before Djokovic scrambled to win for a passing winner at 30/40 to break back and halt the Pole’s momentum.
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